Northeast Oklahoma Attractions
If you are planning a road trip to northeast Oklahoma, here are 15 fun things to see and do:
ATTRACTIONS
1. See over 100 personal items belonging to daredevil Evel Knievel (including the Super Van that was used in the Snake River Canyon Jump) at Route 66 Vintage Iron Motorcycle Museum in Miami.
2. Admire the only completed skyscraper designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Standing at 221 feet with 19 floors, the Price Tower in Bartlesville boasts a tapered, tree-like design, prompting Wright to nickname it “the tree that escaped the forest.”
3. Drive through Bartlesville’s Woolarac Wildlife Preserve and see native bison, elk, and longhorn cattle, as well as exotic animals like llamas and ostriches. Take some time to explore Woolarac’s indoor museum which houses displays of Native American artifacts, Western art, and a collection of Colt firearms.
4. See the world’s largest private collection of firearms, including many belonging to famous outlaws of the 1920s and 1930s, as well as to Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa. This collection of more than 13,000 firearms is housed at Claremore’s J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum.
5. Observe futuristic bubble-top cars and other innovative vehicles at Darryl Starbird’s National Hot Rod and Custom Car Hall of Fame in Afton.
6. Step back in time at Grove’s Har-Ber Village Museum, with both historic and reconstructed buildings representing the pioneer era including a dentist’s office, print shop, a jail and hanging gallows.
7. Hold snakes, alligators, lizards, tarantulas, giant hissing cockroaches and more exotic creatures at Safari Joe’s Reptile World in Adair.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
8. Hunt wild hogs, ram, elk, quail, pheasant and more at Windsong Adventures in Adair.
9. Hike the trails at Natural Falls State Park in West Siloam Springs and view the dramatic 77-foot waterfall that was featured in the 1974 movie “Where the Red Fern Grows.”
10. Catch some crappie at the Bernice Area at Grand Lake State Park. Located on the northwest side of Grand Lake, this area is known as the “Crappie Capital of the World.”
11. Spare the rod and try fishing with your hands (noodling) or with a spear (gigging), or try other non-traditional fishing methods with Controlled Chaos Guide Service in Grove.
12. Stroll through Lendonwood Gardens in Grove, a six-acre botanical garden complex filled with 25 varieties of dogwoods and over 250 varieties of colorful rhododendrons.
GOOD EATS
13. Eat a juicy burger at Wylan’s Ku-Ku Burger on Route 66 in Miami, the last remaining restaurant from a 1960s fast food drive-in chain.
14. Enjoy Clanton Café’s famous chicken fried steak, which has been featured on the Food Network and in Gourmet magazine. Located on Route 66, Clanton’s opened in 1927 and is the oldest continuously-owned family restaurant in the state of Oklahoma.
15. Sip some “nectar of the Gods” at Oklahoma’s first commercial meadery. Summerside Vineyards in Vinita produces several varieties of this fermented honey drink, believed to be the first recorded alcoholic drink in history.
See 10 more things to do in northeast Oklahoma in my article in Show Me the Ozarks magazine. Click here, scroll down to the April 2014 issue, click on that, then flip to page 51.
Photos courtesy of Wikipedia.
Living Life to The Fullest!
I love seeking out new experiences and finding places off the beaten path. I started Joplin MO Life in August 2013 as a way to share my discoveries with others in the Joplin community so that they can learn about the resources that exist right in their own backyards.I have worked in education and event planning, and have always loved to write. I hold a master's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor's degree in marketing from Tulane University.
